HIGH POINT, N.C., March 17, 2011 ? Dr. Carole Head, professor of French and chair of the Modern Foreign Language Department at High Point University, recently attended the National Convention of NCIV (National Council for International Visitors).Head, who is a member of the board of directors for the Piedmont Triad Council for International Visitors (PTCIV), attended the convention as part of the PTCIV. While there, she had the opportunity to attend a special reception in the Department of State Diplomatic Reception Rooms, where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke. She also attended a reception at the Belgian embassy and had the opportunity to meet the Belgian ambassador to the United States. Head also attended sessions on protocol for diplomats and briefings for several areas ? in particular, the Middle East and North Africa.?I also had the chance to have conversation with the Belgian ambassador about linguistic conflicts in the French-speaking and Flemish-speaking areas of Belgium,? Head says. ?This information is directly related to ?France Today,? a course I teach on current events in France and the French-speaking world.?She adds that it was also especially helpful to discuss the Middle East and North Africa, as she has spoken in the same current events course about the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia.The group hosting the convention, the NCIV, is a citizen diplomacy organization sponsored by the State Department. It includes individuals, program agencies, and more than 90 organizations in communities throughout the United States who design and implement professional programs, provide cultural activities, and offer home hospitality opportunities for foreign leaders and specialists participating in the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and other exchange programs.The Modern Foreign Language Department at HPU offers studies in nine different languages with the latest editions being Portuguese and Russian. The university?s student body is made up of students from 51 different countries, all of which are represented by national flags on the Gene and Jane Kester International Promenade.At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people. HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students from 51 countries and 46 states at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Forbes.com ranks HPU in the top 7 percent among ?America?s Best Colleges.? Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. The university offers 50 undergraduate majors, 42 undergraduate minors and 14 graduate degree programs. It is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu .
# # # Pam Haynes
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